Taking Hinata
by Midnight Unicorn
Summary: What does Itachi want with the Hyuuga heiress? Rating for violence and mentions of rape.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**Disclaimers: the usual, not mine, no money. Also, I have no specialized training or knowledge in ninja arts or any medical field, so take everything that isn't strictly Naruto related with a heavy dose of salt. Also, I pretty much suck at action sequences. You've been warned.**

**Warnings: some attempts at torture and angst. Also, this is up to chapter 244 (that's the end of the Kakashi Gaiden). Pre-time skip, post-Team Seven break-up, completely disregarding the stupid fillers. M'kay?**

**Reviews are welcome.**

**Chapter One**

It happened so fast she could hardly believe it. The day was warm without being sweltering, and the breeze kept it crisp without chilling. It was a picnic she had planned for her and her cousin; her teammates; his teammates. They had no missions; the day was too perfect to waste.

Shino and Neji got along better than she could have hoped, though she suspected that was in no small part due to her cousin's fascination with the way Shino's kikaichuu worked. Kiba and Lee were content to spar lazily (Akamaru had been left in the village, recovering from an injury sustained on Team Eight's last mission), neither putting forth remarkable effort, but working up a bit of a sweat; Hinata knew her teammate was of the opinion the taijutsu expert's tree didn't quite reach the top branch. She wished she and Tenten connected so naturally, but the older femme fatale was so much more vivacious than the Hyuuga heiress and she didn't have the patience to deal with Hinata's insecurities.

They were relaxing in the wake of the meal Hinata had prepared, full and satisfied, sharing sporadic conversation about nothing of import. Then everything began to burn.

Kiba noticed first, smelling the smoke, but he'd barely exclaimed the warning when they were surrounded by flames. They were on their feet, kicking the remnants of the picnic out of tripping zone, backed into a huddle, alert for enemies and a way out.

"On the left," Neji warned, low-voiced.

A dark figure stepped through the flames as though untouched, approaching them. Tenten gasped, "It's Uchiha Itachi."

"Don't look at his eyes," Lee cried out. "Neji, Tenten, Gai-sensei taught us how to fight Sharingan-users." The other fourteen-year-olds nodded, recalling the lesson.

Shino and Kiba averted their faces, relying on their bugs and nose respectively, but Hinata had no such extreme senses. Neji didn't tell her he'd deactivated his Byakugan, which would only have made it easier to be ensnared in a genjutsu.

"Sleep," a voice ordered in her mind. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her knees buckled, taking her to the ground.

"Hinata!" Kiba cried, crouching to search for an injury.

"Has she fainted?" Tenten demanded with a note of disgust coloring her voice as she eased a scroll from her pouch and brought her thumb to her mouth.

"She doesn't faint," Kiba snarled despite the situation. "She's…asleep." His head shot up to glare at Itachi who had stopped about twenty paces away. "He's done something to—"

"Don't look!" Lee shouted but it was too late.

The Inuzuka went rigid, mouth agape as some horror played out for his wide eyes alone. A strangled scream gurgled in his throat.

"He's picking us off!" Tenten growled in frustration. Through with waiting for a move she could counter, knowing full well not a one of them could stand against Itachi, she leapt into the air, unleashing a hail of sharp steel on the Uchiha. A wave of water rose from no where to defend the man, dousing some flames but still more roared up to replace them.

Shino focused on the second man with his large sword and blue skin, sending a swarm of kikaichuu at him. He moved to bat through them with his sword but the small insects insinuated themselves between the blade's edges, feeding on the sentient chakra. Behind the screen of bugs, Lee charged him, foot leading the way. Surprisingly quick and graceful for such a large creature, he dodged the kick and struck Lee in the chest with his forearm. With strength his arms did no justice representing he sent the boy flying into a tree; burning leaves rained around him.

Rolling away to put out the beginning fires in his clothes, Lee coughed, covering his mouth.

A few yards away, Tenten collapsed to the ground, hacking and gasping, lungs poisoned by the smoke her elevated position had exposed her to. Shino called the kikaichuu back when the man enacted a jutsu that would have drowned all his bugs. Lee joined him and Neji, standing over their disabled teammates, no longer moving to attack. Lee hunched a little over what he was sure was at least three fractured ribs.

"I have heard of you, Hyuuga Neji," Uchiha spoke, voice surprisingly deep for his slight size. "You hate the Main Hyuuga House with good reason. Stand aside from your cousin."

Almost imperceptibly Shino stiffened, not confident in the Hyuugas' healing relations. Neji's face hardened and he said, "No. I do not know what you want with her or what you think you know of me, but you will have to kill me."

Itachi inclined his head. "As you wish. Kisame?"

The larger man—that speed again!—was behind the three boys. Shino's kikaichuu buzzed into a protective dome around them but there weren't enough to stop the Suirou from encasing them. They held their breath, struggling for a way out. Kisame bent to pick up Hinata.

"No!" The word was muffled in a bubble that burst from Neji's mouth. He gritted his teeth and forced his chakra out through every opening; water sloshed at his ankles, dripped from the hand he thrust at Kisame. "Hakke Kushou!" He shouted. The new technique was imperfect and one of his weakest but at this range it didn't matter; Kisame was thrown a good sixty feet, crashing through blackened tree trunks weakened by fire.

Rounding on Itachi forced him to flip back, feet skittering dangerously close to burning grass as he dodged three kunai. His mouth was dry and his throat burned as he inhaled as much smoke as air, but he couldn't let it distract him.

"You cannot defeat me," Itachi said in a voice like black velvet, playing on what he knew of Neji's beliefs of fate and hopelessness.

"No, I cannot," he rasped, voice ruined by heat even as he stood at the ready. "But I will try. I will not let you take her."

**II**

When Hinata opened her eyes she felt groggy and ill, like she'd been put under by a drug.

Memory came to her slowly, but as it did she stilled, assessing her surroundings. She was seated but her ankles were bound together, wrists chained to the wall and stretched away from her body. The rough rock wall behind her was damp and cold; her jacket, shoes, weapons and hitai-ate were gone but all her other clothes were in place. A shiver ran through her involuntarily but she bit her lip before the trembling could become worse. Her mouth was dry; she must have been out for a while. She was a little surprised that her chakra hadn't been sealed, but when she activated her Byakugan she couldn't see beyond this dark room. Only a bar of dim light slid under the door. There was no window; the air was stale and still.

Using her heartbeat—surprisingly steady—to measure the time she figured she was awake for just under an hour before the light under the door shifted as feet blocked it. A key rattled in a lock and the door squealed on old hinges as it swung open. By the strengthened light, Hinata recognized the man who had come out of the flames.

He left the door open for light and knelt in front of her. He held a cup close to her mouth.

"Drink," he said in the same low voice that had commanded her to sleep. She felt no compulsion this time and kept her lips tightly shut, as much to deny him as to keep them from trembling. "It's just water," he explained, pressing the rim to his lips and taking a small sip. She turned her face away, lower lip clamped firmly between her teeth. He set the cup on the ground beside her and straightened. "I'll see about getting a light in here," he added over his shoulder as he turned to go.

"You're Uchiha Itachi," she stated suddenly in a rough voice quite unlike her own.

He glanced back at her. "I am."

"What do you want from me?" Was that really her own voice?

Itachi tilted his chin as though considering his response. "You will see before long."

**III**

**The Suirou is the prison thing Kisame makes around Neji, Tenten and Lee in the rescue Gaara arc, and the Hakke Kushou is the Empty Palm thing Neji uses to push Kisame back. And for the record, I hate neither Tenten, nor Hinata; I just see them as so completely different. Tenten's teammates are these two really determined, really strong boys, so she'd have to be tough to keep up, and I can't imagine she has the patience to deal with those who can't. That's all.**

**Once again, reviews are welcome, particularly in places where I might mix up facts. Even if I don't fix it, I'll know for the future and appreciate it much.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**See previous chapters for disclaims and warnings; they remain the same. Added one: I take some liberties with the characters, to the effect of, there's nothing to say they absolutely **_**wouldn't**_**, it just doesn't happen this way in cannon. D'accord?**

**Chapter Two**

Hinata slept and woke again before Itachi came back. She was quite hungry by this time but he had only another glass of water. He set it down next to the old glass without even offering it to her, moving about in the near darkness with only a faint scrape of metal and one rustle of cloth to confess his presence. She flinched when there was a sudden flare of red from a flame, remembering a larger blaze.

She opened her mouth to ask but nothing accompanied the syllables she formed. Licking her lips with an equally parched tongue did nothing and swallowing hard produced very little.

Itachi crouched again and held the cup up; she didn't resist this time and the cool liquid flowed refreshingly down her throat in careful, considerate sips. She coughed once and he waited her out. She even drank the warm, flat water from who knew how many hours before.

Taking strength she tried again. "My friends?"

"Alive when I saw them last," he answered indifferently, curiously moving the cups out of her range. He gave her no warning when he grasped her chin and, fool that she was she looked into his eyes of swirling black and red and was careened into a world where the lines of reality blurred.

Hinata was standing like a contrite child in the corner of a familiar room; this is where her father met with people for official reasons. Her father was standing and Neji was kneeling, but not kow-towing to his uncle. The elder was speaking.

"And she just fainted?"

"It seems so, Hiashi-sama," her cousin answered neutrally.

No, I didn't! She protested, but no one seemed to notice and she was four-years-old again, unable to keep up. She moved out of her corner, small and stumbling, to stand between Neji and Hiashi, glancing desperately between them. I was put under by a jutsu! I didn't faint!

"I knew she would be too weak," her father remarked without regret. "I should have put her in the Branch House to protect the Byakugan."

As if his words were a sentence a blaze of pain crawled across her forehead. Gasping, she dashed to the ornate mirror that hung opposite the window to stare at her face. Under her bangs—toxic green and almost glowing—burned the caged bird manji.

"And you," she whirled around at the sound of Hiashi's voice. "You failed to protect her."

Neji's eyes were bright with the hatred Hinata had not seen since the Chuunin Exams and her heart faltered at the relapse. "I did," he agreed remorselessly, even defiantly.

Pain that had nothing to do with the brand on her forehead spiked through her. It was all coming apart, because she had fallen victim…

Before the knowledge could fully impact, Neji's agonized scream interrupted her thought process. She let out her own shriek, but her legs were locked and she could neither stop her father nor comfort her cousin. They watched as the prodigy's brain fried under the curse seal, the elder impassive; the younger horrified.

When he finally fell silent, stopped writhing and twisting unnaturally, and his hands fell from scrabbling at his skull, and the blood from the scratches and his chewed through tongue began to dry, then Hinata's knees unlocked to drop her to the unforgiving wood floor and she hugged herself, rocking with her uncontrolled sobs.

Apologies, gasping and half-formed, were spilling from her lips, meaningless to her lifeless cousin, his death on her hands because she couldn't protect herself.

Suddenly she wasn't alone; someone was cradling her, stroking the back of her head like she was a little girl as she wept. She was in the dark room, Itachi—Uchiha Itachi who had killed his entire clan save his younger brother—was holding her gently. The door was open, she knew she should make a run for it, knew she'd never make it, but she couldn't, _couldn't_ make herself leave the comfort of his arms.

She was still talking, trying to apologize. "N-Neji…I couldn't—I wasn't…not f-fair…so…m-my fault h-he...dead—"

"It is not," Itachi interrupted soothingly, still petting her short dark hair. "You're father was the one who killed Neji, even though he knew it was your fault you were captured."

"Shouldn't've…my fault," she mumbled into his shoulder. Really, if she hadn't been there, she would have though she was too big for this kind of thing. "Neji."

"Your father killed him. You were just too weak." He said it like a chant; it had a kind of rhythm to it Hinata found addicting.

Father killed Neji; I was just too weak. Father killed Neji; I was just too weak. Father killed Neji; I was just too weak. It began to take on a sing-song quality as it went round and round her head. A tiny part of her mind was screaming this wasn't right. Another was laughing hysterically at the insanity of it all.

Hinata was limp and compliant as Itachi chained her up again; her mouth was forming the words as he arranged a scrap of cloth between the metal cuffs and her thin, chafed wrists. Father killed Neji; I was just too weak.

"Neji always said that," she suddenly spoke aloud. "That I was too weak and I always would be; father thought I was worthless."

"You are," Itachi replied quietly, almost gently. He touched her forehead and she felt a sting as though there were an open wound under his fingers. "Go to sleep Hinata. Don't forget."

"I won't," she mumbled as her eyelids slowly fell.

Father killed Neji; I was just too weak.

**II**

Far away in a well-lit, well-ventilated hospital room Neji's eyes snapped open. "Hinata," he croaked in a throat lacking moisture.

"Hang on, kid." That was the Hokage's stern voice. "Slow down and drink this." He obeyed the authority and swallowed the cool water. Then he tried to sit up and was doubled over in pain. "I said slow down," Tsunade snapped crossly, easing him back onto the bed and checking that he hadn't caused further damage to himself.

"Where's Hinata?" he demanded, voice thick with pain, looking around as though that would give him the answer; there was no one else in the room. When he looked at the Hokage again her perpetually young face was grim. "They took her, didn't they?" he whispered.

"I'm afraid so," she confirmed apologetically. She jumped when his fist shot out at the nearby wall and then a howl of pain was strangled in his throat. "Stop thrashing or I'll tie you down!" she growled, intent heavy in her voice. "You're lucky to be alive and I'll not have you undoing all my hard work. Do you even realize the extent of your injuries?"

Neji paused unwillingly, brow furrowed as he assessed his body. "Everything hurts."

"Not surprising. You were dangerously close to chakra burn-out which is fatal and not a pleasant way to die. You did some slip-shod instinctive healing just to keep going. I wasn't sure if that was before or after you were nearly gutted." Tsunade informed him crisply. Taking in his foul expression she softened her voice and added, "You obviously fought very hard; you must have done some damage yourself."

Neji snorted bitterly. "I made him stumble with an Empty Palm and cut his arm with a lucky shuriken. When I got close enough for the Gentle Fist he shattered my hand." He looked down at the appendage, throbbing since he had abused it against the wall. "Will I be able to use my hand again?" he asked quietly.

Tsunade nodded firmly. "All your chakra channels are nearly healed, though I did have to do some extensive work reconstructing your bones. They're full of hair-line fractures, so if you pull another tantrum like before you'll probably undo everything."

He nodded distractedly. "How long was I out?"

"About four days."

"Felt like an eternity," he mumbled, silver eyes haunted by memories. Tsunade had seen that same look in Kakashi's eyes and on Sasuke's face. It was amazing how the Mangekyou Sharingan both took and added years to the victim; vulnerable like a child, aged like a prisoner. "How are the others?" he inquired, attempting to break free of this train of thought.

"Kiba's fine, minimal smoke inhalation," Tsunade informed him. "Tenten had some more damage but in a couple days you won't be able to tell. Shino and Lee had an interesting mix of water and smoke in their lungs but they'll be fine. Silly me, I tried to confine Lee to his bed so his ribs could heal." A rueful smile tugged Neji's colorless lips despite himself, knowing where that venture had ended. "He's already out running around." She stood, pointlessly brushing off her clothes, bidding for time. "Your uncle will be here shortly."

"If he kills me, don't stop him," Neji answered tonelessly. "I deserve it."

Tsunade scowled. "This is a hospital, a place of healing, not killing. I don't care what you think you deserve or what his family rights may be, you have at least another two months under my care in which you will be living."

"Two months?" Neji exclaimed, shifting as though to sit up but then thought better of it. "But I have to…we have to find Hinata!"

"Members of the Aburame, Inuzuka and Hyuuga clans have all offered to organize a rescue party," Tsunade told him gently. "With or without my say-so. I've already sent out two teams; a third will go tomorrow afternoon. I must admit, I never thought I'd see so many Aburame's and Inuzuka's willing to work together."

"She's a bit like Naruto like that," Neji remarked vaguely, turning away from the Godaime. "No where near as vibrant, but once you finally see her, you can't help…"

Tsunade wasn't quite sure what to say; she didn't know the girl. "One more thing," she said as she turned to go. "You know Haruno Sakura? Do you mind if she attends to you as well? She is my apprentice."

"That's fine," Neji agreed in a subdued voice.

Tsunade sighed and left the boy with his inner demons, the ones she couldn't heal.

**III**

**Again, reviews please. This is where the medical disclaimer comes in. I'm pretty much winging it, greased along by the fact that there are healing jutsus. Heh.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**See Chapter One for disclaims and warnings. Also, no one has called me on it, but I completely forgot Hinata stutters. So…that's another thing to take in stride. Also, in case I wasn't clear enough, a lot of the things she's seeing is through the Mangekyou. Alright?**

**Chapter Three**

Hinata woke just as Itachi unlocked the door. The flame of the light had guttered out sometimes while she slept but he lit that first. He had real food this time, a kind of stew that had the look of everything thrown in a pot.

Itachi was not about to spoon feed her, so he shut the door and unlocked her wrists. Despite the cloth they were still raw and her fingers were bloodless and unresponsive. She spent a few minutes clenching and unclenching her fists to get some feeling back so she could hold the spoon without pain.

She couldn't stand the quiet of the cell when there was another person to break the monotony. Pausing in her eating she asked, "Why have you kidnapped me? Why haven't you killed me?" She followed up the question with a bite of meat—rabbit?—and a mild stare.

There was another stretch of silence before he answered. "There is nothing to gain from killing you. And there is something we need from you; that is why you were taken."

"What can a weakling offer?" The words that spilled out of her mouth were not the ones she meant to release, but she couldn't very well take them back.

Was that a flash of emotion in his red eyes? Satisfaction? "Finish eating," he said instead. "Then I shall show you what you have given."

Eyes wide, Hinata ate quickly, scarfing down every scrap in the bowl. Itachi stood and offered her a hand up, which she took, but even once she was on her somewhat shaky footing he did not let go. He was not very big, but he was taller than her, his hands larger; she felt small and—strangely enough—protected. It was not a familiar sensation but she found she liked it.

The hallways they passed through were unremarkable, not worth remembering, but they stepped into a huge chamber where the walls and ceiling spread out into darkness and the floor stretched far out of view.

There were eight others present, some merely ghostly shapes, others quite bizarre in appearance. Hinata gripped Itachi's hand harder on instinct and he didn't comment.

No, wait, there was a ninth person. A smaller figure bound and crumpled on the floor.

"Naruto?" Hinata gasped, recognizing the mane of blond spikes. She moved to get closer but Itachi refused to let go and tugged her back. The eight others and they had formed a ring around Naruto. He struggled to turn so he could look at her; blood decorated the corner of his mouth and one eye was almost swollen shut.

"Hinata?" he rasped, voice gurgling like there was liquid in his lungs. "What are you doing here? You haven't—" she could almost physically feel his gaze falling on her hand clasped with Itachi's. He began to struggle against his bounds and snarl. "You! It was you! How could you betray us like that? How could you betray everyone? Answer me!"

There was something feral and oppressive about him that frightened her; this was not the Naruto she admired so and had striven so hard to be.

And where had that got to? The stray thought occurred to her. She was still weak and here they both were, captive to the same people. Maybe Naruto wasn't as strong as he looked, maybe…

"Hinata!" he growled and a wave of red chakra hit her, burning her skin. She cried out and stumbled back. Itachi stood between her and the threat.

"Naruto, I haven't done anything," she whimpered, staring at him fearfully. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You lie!" He was writhing like a wild beast now; maybe her eyes deceived her but his teeth were looking sharper, his irises bleeding red. "Look at you now! Cowering behind that bastard like the weak thing you are. Pathetic!"

"That's not Naruto," she whispered, then looked desperately to Itachi's impassive face. "That's not Naruto. He wouldn't say that."

"It's not the Naruto you know," Itachi agreed solemnly. "But what you don't know is that Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed inside him. And your Naruto is losing control."

"No," Hinata denied vehemently. "Not Naruto. He's stronger than that."

"Is he?" Itachi inquired mildly. "Look where he is. Look where you are. Who is stronger, do you think?"

"I—I don't…" she stuttered. Then the mantra came to her lips, easy and rhythmic like a heartbeat. "Father killed Neji; I was just too weak."

"Yes, you were weak," Itachi interjected. "Your mind was unguarded as you slept; you gave us the information we needed to capture the demon. You are the betrayer of Konoha."

"No!" Hinata cried again, pulling away. "I didn't say anything! Nothing!"

Itachi grasped her upper arms, forced her to look at him. "You are physically weak; we captured you. You are weak in your mind; we stole from you. You are weak, Hyuuga Hinata, as weak as a child who never learned to take care of herself."

"No, I'm not!" She swung her hand, the Gentle Fist lessons coming to her as easily as breath; Itachi was too close, there was no way he could escape. But he intercepted, seized her wrist, neutralized it, trapped her other wrist in a cage of fingers. Her arms were out; she was disarmed; she felt like what she was. Useless. "…'m just too weak." The words trailed into silence.

"Hinata…" Naruto's voice was soft and agonized. "Hinata if you didn't do it then run! You are not tied, you can flee. Run!"

"Yes, Hinata, run," Itachi whispered for her ears only. "Run and we shall catch you and bring you back. Run away and maybe you escape to a pitiful existence where you always need others to defend you and everyone pities your weakness. Run, Hinata." He released her wrists. "Go on; flee."

"Run," Naruto added desperately. "Hinata, please!"

She began to tremble, torn inside. Leave Naruto to their non-existent mercy? Leave only to be dragged back? Leave only to be a traitor in the village she'd only ever loved? Leave and…and what? Wherever she went wouldn't change the fact of her existence, that she was—

"Weak." She moaned and her knees folded under her, hands meeting the hard floor.

Itachi left her there, focusing on extracting the demon. Hinata watched the second death numbly as a new line began to form. Naruto is a demon; I'm frail of mind and meek.

Inexplicably she started to giggle; ah, the twisted irony that her insane mirth be the last thing Naruto hears. The ghostly images faded and the real people filed away.

Itachi crouched in front of her as she hugged her shins, chuckling to her knees and mumbling the words. "It rhymes," she explained suddenly. "Father killed Neji; I was just too weak. Naruto is a demon; I'm frail of mind and meek." Saying it all together sent her into peels of laughter.

She quieted some when Itachi touched her forehead. "Very true," he agreed. "But I think you need to rest. This has been stressful."

"Oh, yes," she murmured, falling back into his arms.

**II**

"It's been a week; there's no sign of her anywhere," Hiashi said to the window of Neji's hospital room as his nephew observed his tense back. By his tone the Hyuuga head could have been talking about poorly cooked fish.

"I would be out there if I could." He knew he didn't need to say it, but he felt the compulsion to anyway. Not that it mattered, now.

"Yes, I know." Hiashi turned to actually look at his brother's son once more. There was a fresh bandage around his neck where his throat had been cut, a finishing touch but intentionally not a fatal one. There was his broken hand and then the shoulder that had been dislocated and the ball completely snapped off; that entire arm was still unresponsive. The heaviest bandages were around his abdomen where he had been sliced with the intent to kill, his intestines visible to the naked eye when they found him. Then there was the debilitating slice to the back of his right thigh; they wouldn't know if that affected his walking until his stomach healed enough for him to at least sit up.

Neji had been defeated with the intent to cause permanent damage. And the boy didn't even care.

"There's been no note for ransom or blackmail?" he asked though he didn't once think there might be.

Hiashi shook his head. "I shouldn't be discussing this with you barely awake for two days. I shall be kept up to date on your progress—"

"Hiashi-sama," Neji called his name with some difficulty before he could go. "I wanted to…" he struggled to phrase his thought while his uncle waited patiently. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect her," he finally managed, sincerely, guiltily.

Hiashi paused to make sure his voice came out evenly. "Don't tell me that," he answered quietly. "Tell Hinata when we get her back."

The muscles in Neji's jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth and nodded once, turning his face away to hide his shame.

**III**

**Please, please, please review. Favorites and alerts are nice, but they don't really tell me how you feel about the chapter or story, it's just an automated e-mail. Please, give me your opinion, whether you love it, or hate it or are disturbed by it. Please. There, I've filled my begging quota for the next month.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**See chapter one for disclaimers and warnings. Reviews, please.**

**Chapter Four**

Hinata woke back in her cell but the lamp was still lit and she wasn't chained up. She was stiff from sleeping on the hard floor but it was better than being bound to a sitting position for endless hours.

She didn't know when Itachi would return, but she hoped it was soon. He made her feel safe, even though she was weak, but truthfully, who isn't weak next to Itachi?

You can't always rely on someone else, a voice in her head nagged. Someday you're going to have to stand up and defend yourself.

Just then the door began to open. Thinking it was Itachi, she didn't move.

It wasn't Itachi.

The man didn't bother tying her up, just used his own strength to restrain her. Forced her to hold her hand over the lantern flame until her palm swelled with heat blisters full of pus. Told her to shut up and she did. Made her take off her shirt and lay face down on the stone floor, counting to fifty as he struck her back with the chain that left welts and ripped off bits of skin that got pinched between the links; if she miscounted or tried to squirm away it started over.

The flame flickered out and she screamed as her forehead burned and burned with pain, making white spots erupt on her vision. She was on her hands and knees, heaving as her body tried to bring up the contents of her stomach.

The door opened and she cried out, shielding her face from the unknown danger.

"Hinata." She looked fearfully and recognized this man.

"Don't let him get me, please," she begged; her voice came out rough. From what? "You have to protect me, I can't do it, I'm too weak, I just—I'm just—"

"Hinata." Amazing the power the dark silk voice held over her. She shut up without the command. "There is no one here. You were dreaming."

"No one…" she gaped at him, and then looked at her palms. They were rough with some calluses, evidence of her futile attempts to become what she couldn't, but there were no other marks. She twisted to look at her back; there was a memory of pain but no welts, her shirt was even still on.

"Don't try to speak," Itachi instructed, offering her a cup. She accepted it, though tremors ran through her and she sloshed the contents down her chin a little. It wasn't water, but some fruity drink that soothed thickly down her throat. "You were screaming quite loudly. I wouldn't be surprised if talking caused you pain."

"What pain is worse than this?" she mumbled despite his caution.

Itachi tilted his head, settling on the floor in front of her. "What is this?"

"Being weak," she explained, hugging her knees, avoiding his gaze. "I was captured, so Neji died. I couldn't shield my mind so Naruto, the one person I was so sure believed in me—" her voice broke but she wasn't sure if it was from the pain in her heart or her throat. "He's dead now. And you even let me go. There were no doors, no chains, but I couldn't run."

"Why not?" there was a soft, hypnotic quality to his voice.

"Because I was afraid." She hadn't even thought about it, but the truth of the statement had its own strength. "I'm always afraid."

"You are weak; you know you will fail." Such cruel words, he spoke so gently.

"Yes. I was a burden to everyone; they tried so hard, Kiba, Shino, Kurenai…they wanted me to be strong. Our team was the weakest because they always slowed down to wait for me." The poisonous thoughts were pumping through her veins as hot as blood. Shino was never beaten; she'd never seen him truly lose. Kiba never gave up; even when the odds were stacked impossibly high, even when his life was on the line. Hinata always lost, she never beat anyone that mattered, and on missions it was always Kiba and Shino holding her up. Hinata almost always gave up, knowing it was hopeless, and the one time she didn't it had almost cost her her life.

Hinata didn't want to die, and she didn't want to be weak.

"I can make you strong," Itachi said after a long silence.

Some hint of reason invaded in her brooding. "You are Akatsuki," she replied, feeling oddly numb to the fact. "You are an enemy of Konoha; I am not a missing-nin."

"I am strong; you are weak," Itachi corrected mildly. "You are not strong enough to escape us." He paused as though considering whether or not to continue. "There have been no rescue attempts." She flinched. "I think they believe you dead."

"You'd think my father would at least send the hunters for my body," Hinata remarked bitterly. "To protect the Byakugan, because you know," she looked at Itachi was jaded silver eyes. "I was never really good enough to be the Hyuuga heiress."

"You would think," Itachi murmured, rising gracefully. He touched her forehead and there was a flare of pain where his fingers contacted her skin. "Think about my offer."

Hinata sat there in the flickering light of the taper, hypnotized by its slow swaying and obeyed. Oh, did she think.

**II**

Sakura knocked once on the door to warn Neji that she was coming in. There was no response but that was hardly unusual. Entering, she saw that he was asleep and eased the door shut. As she approached the bed she realized that whatever he was dreaming was not good; his lips were tightly compressed, nostrils flared as air rushed in and out, sometimes catching just before he twitched in an attempt to move.

"Neji," Sakura called softly, touching his uninjured shoulder to shake him. He did not react, though his eyes darted about wildly under his eyelids. "Neji," she tried again, touching his face and using some of Tsunade's first lessons to rouse him; sleep was easy to manipulate because it was something the body did naturally and willingly.

His hand flew up to seize her wrist before his eyes snapped open, panic and rage briefly swirling before falling under awareness. "You said my name," he murmured, voice just a little thick with sleep.

"I did; you were having a nightmare." Sakura made no attempt to free her arm, though she was becoming slightly uncomfortable.

"You sounded like her." He didn't need to specify whom for the kunoichi to understand, blank eyes searching her face as though that would reveal something. "She's always calling my name: 'Neji…I was just too weak.' It's like she's singing it."

Sakura's fingertips were beginning to tingle, blood flow restricted by his tight grip. She tried to ease her hand free. "It was a nightmare, Neji. On another topic, your right arm is clearly responsive again." He glanced at her trapped wrist and then let go; her skin was white where his hand had been. She rubbed it a little, sure there would be bruises.

"They're nightmares now," Neji replied in a low voice that was almost a growl. He winced at the stress on his still healing throat. "But when you're in the Mangekyou it's all real; it doesn't matter how impossible a thing might be, it's all happening and I couldn't stop…The things they did to her—"his voice cracked and he turned away, twisting his shoulders, as much a barrier as he could manage and his hands covered his face.

Sakura perched carefully on the edge of the bed, knowing that more than anything it was timing that brought them to this juncture; had it been almost anyone else Neji knew even somewhat it would be they the prodigy was hiding from.

Hesitantly she touched his shoulder, just beside his neck where she was less likely to cause pain. He stiffened a little. "We'll get her back, Neji. And whatever is done to her, we can heal."

"More than two weeks, Sakura," he mumbled as though resentful of her encouragement. "No sign of her, or that she even lives at this point. You don't know her like I do. If even half of what I saw in the Mangekyou happens to her—" his voice hitched just slightly. "She'd be well beyond broken."

"No, I don't know her as well," Sakura agreed with a quiet kind of fierceness. "But if she's anything like the girl I saw facing you at the Chuunin Exam she'll survive long enough for us to reach her."

There was a heavy silence, and then slowly Neji relaxed and lowered his hands to examine her pale, tense face. He had forgotten that she had someone to get back, too, only she had it worse, because Sasuke had left, he hadn't been taken. She had to have so much faith that she could one day be with him again, and here she was offering still more to Neji who she barely knew.

Seeing the change in him she nodded once to herself, and beat back her emotions to become brisk. "Now let me see your hand. I've got some healing to do on you."

Neji held out the bandaged limb wordlessly, watching her bend over it with a kind of fascination. "I thought it was better to let it heal by itself," he finally said.

Sakura laughed softly and glanced at him briefly, green eyes dancing mischievously. "It is, really, but do you actually want to go through half a year of natural healing and rehabilitation? It's going to take you long enough to get back in shape once you're up and about again. Lee has been pestering Tsunade almost non-stop whenever he's not visiting you about healing you more quickly; Gai and Tenten are being slightly more subtle."

"Sakura." She stopped even though she had more to say and looked up briefly. His face was a twisted war of pain and relief. "Thank you," he murmured.

A faint smile told him she knew he was addressing more than the treatment. "Sure," she said and returned to her task.

**III**

**You're all going to hate me after the next chapter. ::cue maniacal laughter::**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**See chapter one for disclaimer and warnings. And you're all going to hate me because—aha!—it's the end!**

**Chapter Five**

Hinata was tormented by nightmares, some of them memories cast in a dark light. She was only ever sure she was awake when Itachi was there.

The images in her mind were so vivid she would swear at the time she was living them and she was always surprised to wake and find no marks on her body. Faceless men she never knew beat her, tortured her with devices she wouldn't have believed herself capable of imagining, raped her until she was telling them anything they wanted, admitting even to the time she was three and snuck into Neji's room when she was afraid of a thunder storm.

Suddenly her father was there instead, scolding her for being so weak, weaker than a Branch House member, and then it wasn't about the storm but the Chuunin exams she failed so miserably. He hit with words only but he broke her spine and shattered her knees more fully than the clubs that also visited her flesh.

Before, Hinata had always dreamed about a strength she didn't have, that she'd be able to stand on her two feet beside the people she admired, the pillars of her world; that they would look at her and be proud. Now those invincible columns began to crumble as they failed and failed to rescue her, even though they must know she was too weak to do it herself.

She began to hate them for failing to make her strong, for coddling her weakness.

Memories began to darken; the friendly sparring that had so recently occupied her time with Neji turned from him strengthening her to merely humoring her. Times where she had been proud of Shino and Kiba for succeeding became the occasions where they went ahead and did the job and generously shared the credit with her. Kurenai's praise was only pity for her meager achievement.

Thoughts of her father did not need to be put in a new light, it had always been clear that he thought her weak, worthless, a waste of time; the true dead last of her generation.

Itachi would bring her food and sometimes something else, like new clothes, blankets, a damp cloth to wipe up her vomit, or a bowl of steaming hot water to wash herself while he waited outside the door. Recently he had brought her a book, for which she had thanked him because it broke the repetitive cycle of sitting in the dark as the words tumbled around her mind.

Just too weak…frail of mind…so breakable…worthless, mediocre…unwanted; no one had come to try to save her.

But eventually the fire went out and Hinata was left in darkness with only the mantra until unconscious and nightmares claimed her.

She didn't know how long it was, she'd lost all sense of time, but she was awake when Itachi came.

The dream had been that time just before the final eliminations of the Chuunin exam when Hinata and Naruto met on the training grounds. Instead of letting him walk away she'd told him how she felt. He'd blustered, he'd apologized and thanked her but he just didn't think of her like that, he didn't really know her and he had to get to the Exams, he had a promise to keep, she understood, right?

And just like that the final pillar snapped and the sky crashed in.

She was thumbing through the pages of the book when Itachi lit the lamp even though it had been too dark to read, even though she'd read it twice.

"This was written by a civilian, wasn't it?" she asked by way of greeting, indicating the fat novel.

"I believe so," Itachi nodded, offering her a bowl. It was, ironically enough, ramen; Hinata felt repulsed by the smell. "Why do you ask?"

"They use the same words—genius, talent—but they mean different things," she explained, setting aside the book and accepting the meal though she made no move to eat. "It's…naïve." Itachi cocked an eyebrow, as much a gesture of surprise as she'd ever seen. "To a civilian genius is someone who's smart and clever, a strategist. Talent is only physical, a natural inclination to skill only. It galls me that they imply…" her voice shook and she paused to gather herself. "Imply that just by being smart you can win." She stirred the ramen listlessly. "I was no Sakura, but I'm not a fool, yet I am weak. I never won." She looked up sharply as if he had spoken or moved suddenly though he was silent and still. "I want to be strong."

"Why?" she hadn't expected that; she leaned back slightly, weighing the mono-syllabic question.

"I don't want to be weak," she answered slowly.

"Don't rely on the double negative," Itachi reprimanded. "That will crumble as fast as a sand castle. You must have a reason and goal to reach for."

Naruto wanted to be Hokage; Neji wanted to be free to choose his own fate; Hinata had just wanted to be like them, powerful, driven and determined.

"I want to show them that I can be strong. I want father to acknowledge that I could be the heir." She liked the way this goal rolled off her tongue into sound.

"What better way to prove that you're strong than by defeating them?" Itachi suggested unobtrusively.

"Yes," Hinata agreed, as though he merely voiced what she herself thought. "Show them what I could have been if they only…if they only…"

"Hadn't already determined that you were too weak," Itachi murmured.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.

"It is not worth your tears," Itachi said gently. "Becoming stronger is not something to regret."

"I know," she mumbled, swiping at her eyes. "It's not that. I don't even know why I'm crying."

He gave her a moment to collect herself and asked, "Do you want me to train you to be strong?"

"Yes," she nodded emphatically. "More than anything."

As always when he touched her forehead there was a sharp, brief sting. "Rest for now. When I come back, you will be moved to better quarters."

Hinata nodded, watching him go. She pushed the ramen away and didn't eat it, curling up under the blankets. Itachi is so strong, she thought, a happy little smile stealing over her lips. Maybe, with his help, I could be strong…

**II**

"Ready?" Tsunade asked.

"More than," Neji replied firmly, though he was gritting his teeth.

"On three, then. One…two…three." she straightened and took Neji up with her; against her shoulder his good hand tightened into a fist but no sound escaped him. "Alright?"

There was a long moment before he nodded abruptly. "My thigh is throbbing, but nothing unbearable."

"We're more concerned about your stomach splitting open," Sakura remarked dryly from his other side; she was there to brace him should his weight prove too much for the Hokage, even knowing it wouldn't.

"It…hurts," he admitted with a grimace. "But I think I can stand." He began cautiously untangling himself from Tsunade; she held his arms firmly and was ready to catch him.

"More than three weeks on you back have left your legs severely weakened," she informed him regretfully. "You're not going to be doing anything on your own yet."

Neji's knees began to tremble and his hands shot out to Sakura and the Godaime's shoulder to stabilize himself. "Okay, I see that," he grunted as they each moved to support him.

"Back to the bed," Tsunade ordered and they sat him down. It infuriated him that he couldn't lift his own legs onto the mattress, but at least now he could wiggle enough to get himself under the blankets. "Believe it or not, that's progress," she said frankly, hands on her hips. "I would've bet you'd buckle as soon as any weight was on your legs. Good thing I'm not gambling on it." Sakura rolled her eyes behind her and Neji allowed a tiny curl of his lips in recognition for the joke. "Well, as much as I enjoy your company, I haven't got all the time I'd like to get you on your feet again. I just wanted to make sure you were far enough along for the attempt."

"I see," Neji said cautiously when she paused. "And?"

"And there are exercises you can do to move things along; Sakura can help, although Lee volunteered if you prefer. He did many of them while healing after the Chuunin exam," Tsunade added idly.

Neji thought of his well-meaning teammate; his enthusiasm required a large chunk of Neji's patience on his good days. He wasn't sure he could deal with the incessant encouragement and prodding when he was physically incapable of measuring up to it.

"Sakura's fine," Neji answered a little more meekly than he intended.

"Good. Don't strain yourself." With that parting warning she left them.

Neji looked at Sakura. "Lee offered?" he prompted.

She blushed faintly; it was a surprisingly fetching shade considering her pink hair. "I asked him," she admitted, tucking said pink hair behind her ear. "In case you were uncomfortable with the idea. We're really not that close."

"If it weren't you, it would be a different medic-nin I know even less. There is no way I want Lee having control over my recovery," Neji explained, more vehement than he realized.

Sakura giggled a little, fully understanding, and contained herself. "Alright, the first exercises are going to be insultingly simple, but also the most painful." She stripped back the sheet which he had expected, and then she plucked the pillow from under his head, which he had not. "First is just drawing one knee up like you would for a crunch. Do it slow."

Neji would have like to do it quickly but he was shocked that he couldn't, that it was this hard simply to bend his leg. He resisted curling in on his stomach to make it easier. It had been difficult, but not very painful; he glanced questioningly at Sakura who was looking just a little wicked. "Keep going; it gets worse."

"That's not very encouraging," Neji said as he lowered the leg and began to bend the other; his thigh pulled painfully.

Her lightheartedness faded abruptly and she knelt so her face was level with his. "Won't you do whatever you can to get Hinata back once you're in shape?"

He glared determinedly at the ceiling. "Of course."

"The encouragement you receive for that will be double-sided or non-existent at this point," she said. Neji turned his face to her, gaping imperceptibly in surprise. "Besides," the intensity in their proximity and her voice eases as she rocked back on her heels. "You don't strike me as someone who wants to be molly-coddled through the healing process."

"No," he agreed quietly, lowering his injured leg for the second time. He moved to raise the other a third time; his knee twitched and nothing else happened. Frowning, he propped himself up on his elbows to stare at his unresponsive leg.

With a told-you-so grin, Sakura positioned herself at the base of the bed, his bare foot between her hands. Warm hands, he noticed, unwillingly, but not clammy. "Ready?" she said. "You've got to do at least a couple more."

Neji nodded, letting his head fall back as she slowly pushed his leg up. "Ah, that burns," he hissed, clenching his teeth.

"It gets worse before it gets better," Sakura answered bracingly as she brought it back down. "Everything does."

Neji was sharply reminded again that she had her own important person to bring home. "How do you do it?" he asked as much to distract himself as honest curiosity.

"Do what?" she responded vaguely, easing his injured leg up.

"Keep hoping." She blinked and paused in her ministrations, and then continued. "Hinata's been missing a few weeks and I have my fears. Sasuke's been gone for months."

"I have my fears as well," Sakura murmured quietly. "I just can't dwell on them. Being afraid he won't come back does nothing to bring him back. So I just keep hoping and working so I'll be strong enough when I face him."

"I was never really good at blind faith," Neji muttered, than swallowed a muffled sound of pain at a particularly sharp twinge.

"Sorry," she apologized sincerely. "I think that's enough for now." She released his foot and straightened. "But it's never too late to try, really. Besides, what else was it that carried you through your battle with Kidomaru?" She very considerately used a spare cloth to wipe the sheen of sweat from his face as she arranged the pillow under him; her fingers did not avoid and her gaze did not linger on the brand on his forehead, still exposed against his will and he was profoundly grateful for the tacit acceptance.

"Pride," he confessed as she tugged the sheet back over his lower body. She stared; he fought down a dull flush. "People expect me to win, even though I'm a Branch House member," he defended but it was conceited in his ears no matter how he said it. "And I couldn't let Naruto down," he added in a more subdued tone. "But it wasn't enough this time."

Her gaze softened even as she cuffed him lightly on the side of the head. He scowled, highly offended. "Of course pride isn't enough when you're defending someone," she scoffed but she had more to say. "Of course it wasn't enough against Itachi. He's a monster in a class of his own. He absolutely shattered the boy I loved. He was this close to breaking you as well." Neji looked away, wondering how she knew how very true that was. "But he failed this time and I think I know why now."

"Enlighten me," Neji allowed sarcastically. "I was under the impression he was toying with me."

"Because Sasuke was…is…driven by hatred." He turned back to her reluctantly. "You are not."

It would have been so easy to reply with bitterness, to rip at the wound she was exposing to him. But looking at her white face he realized how desperately fearful she was that he would give up on Hinata. And in hindsight he couldn't be sure he wouldn't have.

He held out his good hand; she took it without hesitation. There was reassurance in his grip and a promise. "I thought it might be," he said quietly. "But you're right; I just need to protect my important people."

When she squeezed his hand in mute reply he knew she understood perfectly.

Lying awake after the lights had gone out, Neji decided that once he had Hinata back if they hadn't achieved their goal, he would help Sakura and Naruto bring Sasuke home. They'd both given him hope when no one else could.

**III**

**The end.**

**Nah, just kidding; there'll be the epilogue next Tuesday. I want to send a particularly fervid thank you to those who reviewed consistently. Much love to you all.**

**And one more time: Reviews? Yes, yes, yes?**


	6. Epilogue

**Title: Taking Hinata  
By: Midnight Unicorn**

**See chapter one for disclaimers and warnings, although if you got this far, you really don't need them. I can't believe it's over. Never finished a multi-chapter before.**

**Epilogue**

"Are you sure about this, Itachi?" Kisame was analyzing his partner carefully. "What if she flees?"

"She won't," the Uchiha replied calmly. "As far as she's concerned she has nothing to run to. And I'm offering her everything she's ever wanted."

"And you're not going to get caught up in her?" Kisame inquired carefully.

Itachi's expression was unmoved but Kisame read the warning in his red eyes. "You know better than that."

"I suppose," the shark-like man sighed, adjusting his Samehada. "It just seems like more effort than she's worth."

"If the chakra cards Kabuto shared with Sasori are correct, she's worth it," Itachi said smoothly. "At the very least she will be an obedient and powerful tool."

If Kisame had any less faith in Itachi's abilities he would have continued the interrogation, but he trusted his partner's skill. "Never can get enough of those," he remarked lightly. Despite his resolve he couldn't resist asking, "Using the Mangekyou so much hasn't drained you?"

The threat was clear in the swirling oculars now, even as he answered, "It has, but not so that it affects me overmuch." Itachi and Kisame got along better than almost anyone else in Akatsuki, but there were some things that weren't discussed around one or the other and with Itachi one such topic was the drawbacks of the Mangekyou.

Kisame nodded in acceptance and the tension eased. They turned, hearing Hinata's hesitant approach. She was not Akatsuki and therefore did not wear the cloud patterned cloaks, but she had her own cut in a similar style of dark blue cloth and she wore the wide brimmed hat with its concealing tassels, tipped back to expose her face.

"I didn't mean to take so long," she apologized, fingers twitching to take their poking stance but a look from Itachi stilled her.

"Come," he instructed. "We have a long journey."

Nodding submissively, Hinata followed the pair, sticking close to Itachi. She had no weapons, no belief in herself, nothing of her life in Konoha but her silver, pupil-less eyes that saw only her weakness and the pillar that could make her strong.

**II**

**And that's the end. Really. I was debating whether or not to write a sequel, because I started to, and then I got all knotted up in canon, and then I wrote myself into a freaking corner, and then it got way too freaking romantic, so, I'm going to re-write it. That's probably going to take months or years. Opinions: should I have listed this as Neji/Hinata, since they're the **_**real**_** central characters? I wrote Neji just because I needed counterpoint…and I wanted to make it longer. . So sue me.**

**Also, I'm not discounting Hinata's relationship with Kiba and Shino at all, I'm trying to work them into **_**Taking Back Hinata**_**, but I just have a better grasp of Neji…no that's not true, I only like Neji better.**

**And so, for you who journeyed this far, a bonus scene from **_**Taking Back Hinata**_** that I hope to keep in the posted version. If you don't want to read it, skitter off, there's nothing after it.**

**Edit 10/11/07: I'm working really hard on something original I really want to finish, so **_**Taking Back Hinata**_** is on a way back burner at the moment. Not even on low, it's in the warming drawer. But I'll post a temporary chapter when it's back on high heat, so if you've got this alerted, you'll know.**

**Bonus**

"If it's a fight you want, you've got it," Hanabi spat, taking on the counter pose. "Neji, stay out of this. I've always despised how weak you were; if you last a minute it'll be a refreshing change."

"We have more in common than I thought," Hinata remarked with her crazy little sneer. "I despised it, too."

Neji leapt back as the siblings collided, bursts of chakra flowing between them, attacking and blocking simultaneously. He couldn't believe this was the Hinata whom he'd toyed with in his misguided rage. There was no playing now; she moved with the intent to kill, her hands cutting a little closer, dodging Hanabi's strikes a little quicker.

He thought she'd faltered for the briefest breath and then saw the trap he had once sprung on her; Hanabi saw the opening and took it. It looked like she connected; Hanabi's fingers brushed her shirt. Only the barest glimmer of chakra protected her skin even as she doubled over.

In a blink Hinata whirled in a blur of movement, rolling over her sister's arm, chopping her hand down on the thoracic vertebrae. They stood there, side by side, motionless, crystallizing the moment in time. Then Hinata reached out and so gently pushed Hanabi, who toppled over lifelessly.


End file.
